State Report: Governor to sign growth management bill today

TALLAHASSEE (AP) -- Gov. Jeb Bush plans to travel around Florida to sign a growth management bill today that will help ensure schools don't become overcrowded as new homes are built.

The bill (SB 1906) requires local governments to include schools in their comprehensive plans and to talk with school districts about overcrowding issues as they consider development proposals.

"I know up here in our area it will help (control) development and we have development opportunities that are going gung-ho," said Sen. Durell Peaden, R-Crestview and a bill co-sponsor. "We've had a lot birthing pains for a long time."

The measure will also help lower class sizes by making sure schools are included in planning, he said.

While much of the attention the bill has received has been about the school issue, Sen. Lee Constantine, R-Altamonte Springs, said it does much more.

"We put a lot of other things in there also that I think are very positive," said Constantine, the bill's other sponsor.

The bill will also require local governments to consider a water resource plan before they approve a project to make sure water supplies will not be hurt by development, he said.

Also, it requires areas to come up with plans to make sure residents are provided with adequate services like police and fire protection, he said.

Constantine will be traveling with Bush to Miami, Bradenton and Orlando to participate in bill signing ceremonies.

"This is a major step in a new direction when it comes to growth management in the state of Florida," he said.

Bush considered the bill a top priority during the legislative session.

"The bill provides an important framework for local governments and agencies to work together on issues for their communities, including the critical areas of school planning," Bush spokeswoman Jill Bratina said.

On Thursday, Bush signed a bill to require HIV testing of prison inmates before they are released and, if positive, the notification of local health officials.

Another bill he signed is designed to streamline applications for building code permits and privatize elevator inspections. The legislation, however, also affects when buildings have to be made accessible to people with disabilities.

Under current law, when renovations are done a building must be brought up to Florida accessibility requirements. The new law creates a test to determine when to grant waivers.

High court rejects first appeal by Jimmy Ryce killer

TALLAHASSEE -- The death row inmate condemned for the murder of Jimmy Ryce lost his first appeal to the state Supreme Court.

Juan Carlos Chavez confessed to killing 9-year-old Jimmy, who was kidnapped and raped after getting off his school bus near his family's home in a rural area of Miami in September 1995. That prompted a state law bearing Jimmy's name that keeps sexual predators in custody even after they have finished their prison sentences if they are still considered a danger.

In Chavez's appeal, his attorney argued that police held and questioned Chavez for 54 hours before bringing him before a judge or giving him an attorney, but the court said he had been treated fairly.

"Although Chavez was questioned over the course of several days, he was provided with food, drink and cigarettes (as requested) at appropriate times, and permitted to have frequent breaks," the justices wrote in Thursday's unsigned opinion.

He was also advised of his legal rights to have an attorney several times, the court added.

Ohio man dies after jumping from Orange Co. TV tower

ORLANDO -- A 30-year-old Ohio parachutist died after jumping from a television tower in eastern Orange County on Thursday morning.

Timothy Werling II, 30, of Norwood, Ohio, was found dead near the base of the 1,684-foot tower, Deputy Carlos Torres said.

Werling's parachute had deployed, but Torres said investigators have not yet determined if there was a malfunction.

Torres said dispatchers received a 911 call from Werling's companions about 7 a.m., but they had left before authorities arrived.

Investigators are trying to find the people who made the emergency call to see if they have more information about the accident.

The tower is in a fenced compound, and Torres said it's believed Werling and his companions jumped over a fence.

Authorities think Werling was a BASE jumper, which involves parachuting from towers, bridges and mountains. BASE is an acronym for Building, Antennae, Span, Earth.